Silver Linings
by Zip Goes A Million
Summary: Secret Santa exchange for mimijag. When Larry and Sybil have a huge fight on the morning of Edith's wedding, it looks as though the day couldn't be any worse. Until Sybil meets Tom, one of the staff at the wedding.


_Merry Christmas mimijag! This is my Secret Santa fic, based on this prompt, provided by Mimi:_  
The morning of the day of one of her sister's wedding Sybil has a huge fight with her boyfriend Larry Grey (I let it to you to see if they broke up right away or not). But she decides to still go with him so they don't spoil her sister's day. Fortunately, her day is going to brighten thanks to a certain Tom Branson who is working as an extra on the wedding.  
 _The brief included that it had to be a modern AU, set at Downton with *at least* a kiss shared between Sybil and Tom… well I haven't disappointed you on that front!_  
 _Anyway, I hope everyone who reads this enjoys this fic and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, and if you don't celebrate it or are reading this at any other time of year, I hope you have a wonderful day! Merry Christmas!_

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Silver Linings

Sybil rolled over in bed and reached across her bedside table to turn her alarm clock off. She groaned to herself and forced herself to sit up in bed. She hadn't slept well. She was staying in her childhood room at Downton Abbey in preparation for the day ahead; the day that Edith would marry Bertie. Sybil loved her sister dearly, but she knew that today would be a tiring day and having had an unsettled night, it was not a good start to the day for Sybil. She checked her phone to find that she had no notifications. She pushed the duvet out of the way and padded across the room to pull her dressing gown off the hook on the back of her door. She wrapped it around her body and made her way downstairs to have breakfast.

"Good morning, darling," Cora said, looking up from her plate when Sybil entered the room.

"Morning," Sybil mumbled, rubbing at her eyes.

There was nobody else yet sitting at the table. Edith, predictably, was either not yet up, or more likely was upstairs worrying about the next twenty four hours. And Mary, unsurprisingly, hadn't yet surfaced. She and Matthew had never been good with early mornings.

Sybil served herself some marmalade on toast from the side table and sat opposite her mother. She noticed that Cora was already dressed.

"You're up early," she said.

"We've got a lot to do," Cora said.

"Mm," Sybil hummed quietly, not really feeling particularly motivated for the day.

"Are you alright, darling?"

"I didn't sleep very well," Sybil said. "I'd forgotten what it was like to sleep on a mattress that's so squishy."

"I bet Edith slept worse," Mary said, sauntering into the room, going straight to the side table to serve herself some food. She too was not yet dressed, which made Sybil feel a little better about her level of dishevelment in comparison with her mother. She was wearing cotton pyjamas and a silk robe that she hadn't tied up, so it flowed behind her like a cape and made her look particularly elegant.

Sybil looked up at Mary and gave her a small smile.

Since Mary had married Matthew a few years ago, she had gradually become more and more crude in her choice of words. Robert and Violet were shocked every time Mary mentioned sex, especially when in the company of non-family members, but Sybil and Cora usually shared a smile at Mary's sexual comments. They usually thought it was just a tad funnier than it should be.

"I know I didn't get any sleep the day before I married your father," Cora said, remembering back to one of the most nerve-wracking nights of her life.

"Neither did I," Mary said. "The night before my wedding nor the night of my wedding." She pulled out a chair next to Sybil and smiled an amused smile at her little sister.

Sybil smiled back at Mary and suddenly felt just a little bit more ready for the day.

-ooo-

Once everyone had finished breakfast, they each dispersed their own ways. Mary went back to her bedroom to get herself ready, Cora went to made sure Edith wasn't too nervous, and Sybil went to get herself dressed. She knew that once she was dressed she would need to go and help Edith finish getting ready.

When she got back to her bedroom she pulled her dress out of the cupboard, having pressed it carefully the night before, and laid it down on her bed. She took her phone off the bedside table and played a Christmas playlist to get her into the wintry mood as she got dressed.

Her dress was a nude colour with a subtle pattern in the weave and a neckline that slightly accentuated her bust and figure. She loved it. It was close-fitting and just above knee-length and the sort of dress she would have chosen to wear even if she weren't a bridesmaid. Mary's dress was similar, but not identical. All three sisters were different shapes and had different personal styles. They all knew that they wouldn't all suit the same style of dress. For Mary's wedding, when Edith and Sybil had been her bridesmaids, they had dealt with the issue the same way – their dresses were variations on a theme, but didn't match entirely.

Sybil sat at her vanity before getting dressed to do her makeup and hair. She began by curling her hair with a straightening iron. She never did get the hang of doing it with a curler. And she preferred the look of the waves when it was done with a straightener anyway. Her makeup was subtle and comprised of neutral colours. Just enough eyeshadow to make her blue eyes stand out. Just enough blusher to make her look a tad more awake.

With her hair and makeup finished, and listening to _Fairytale of New York_ she could finally get dressed. She stepped into the dress and reached directly behind her to zip up the back.

She turned to look at herself in the mirror, turning away and looking back to see how she looked from all angles. She repositioned her breasts to make the dress fit better. She wasn't wearing a bra, so she knew that adjustments might have to be made all day. She couldn't wear a bra with straps, as it would ruin her look, but there was no reason for her not to wear a strapless bra. Other than the fact that she didn't own one, as she had never needed one before, and she hadn't had a chance in the past few weeks to go shopping for one. At least the dress fit well enough that it held her boobs in place nicely, accentuating her figure.

She slipped on a pair of nude heels, high enough to add to her elegance, but low enough that she could still walk properly. Sybil had never been great with heels.

She walked back to her vanity and slipped a bracelet onto her right wrist and put in a pair of real diamond stud earrings which she had received from her parents for her twenty-first birthday. She loved them, but she rarely got a chance to wear them. She was glad that they would get some use today.

She looked at herself one last time in the mirror. She smiled a small smile at herself. She knew that she looked gorgeous. She hadn't felt this gorgeous in quite some time. This feeling was just the confidence boost she needed. If nothing else went right today, she at least knew that she looked beautiful, and dare she say it… alluring.

Feeling good about herself, she quickly straightened her bedsheets and walked down the corridor to Edith's bedroom. Her next job would be to get Edith looking just as beautiful as she did.

-ooo-

With help from her Cora, Mary and Sybil, Edith was transformed into a goddess. Her dress was a silk masterpiece, fitting her curves, but not too tightly, with long sleeves to help ward off the cold, and embroidered detail on her left hip. Her veil was long and white, fastened in place by the same headpiece that both Cora and Mary had worn in their own weddings. No doubt, Sybil would wear it in her wedding in the future too. She wore a fine-chained necklace and simple pearl earrings.

Edith was standing in front of the mirror with her sisters and mother looking on, admiring her beauty, when they heard a knock at the door.

"Is everyone decent? Can I come in?" It was Matthew's voice.

"Yes, come in," Mary said, loudly enough to penetrate the wood of the door.

"Wow," Matthew said, looking around the room. "I've never seen a more beautiful room in my life." He stepped towards Mary and wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her into him slightly, a subtle way to let her know that she was the most beautiful part of the ensemble.

Everyone smiled at each other, feeling the love radiate from the room.

"I'm just checking that everything is almost ready," Matthew said. "We're leaving for the church in half an hour."

The women looked around at each other, nodding as they thought.

"I think we're all sorted, thank you Matthew," Cora said.

"Brilliant," Matthew said turning to leave the room. He stopped on his way to the door and turned back to Sybil. "Oh, Sybil, is Larry meeting us at the church? I thought he was coming with us, but we haven't seen him yet."

"Has he not turned up yet?" Sybil said, already annoyed with her boyfriend. "I'll ring him and find out what's happening and let you know."

Matthew nodded and left the women together once again.

"You look stunning, Edith," Sybil said to her sister as she gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'm going to go and see if I can find out what's happening with Larry. I'll see you all downstairs in half an hour."

Sybil left the room and strode down the corridor back to her bedroom. She hadn't even realised that Larry hadn't shown his face, as she had been so engrossed with what she was doing all morning. In all honesty, it didn't surprise her that he hadn't shown up. She wouldn't be surprised if he had completely forgotten all about it. She just hoped beyond hope that he didn't have a hangover.

Sybil picked up her phone and noticed the distinct lack of missed calls and texts from her boyfriend. She dialled his number, which she knew by heart, and waited.

No answer.

She tried again.

"Hello?" Larry said, obviously still not out of bed.

"Where the fuck are you?" Sybil said loudly enough to get her anger across, but not quite so loudly that the rest of the family would hear her. She knew the walls in this house weren't particularly thick.

"At home," Larry said with no sense of urgency in his voice at all.

"Do you think perhaps you could get up and join me at Edith's wedding?" Sybil said, feigning calm, the same way you would if you were dealing with a small child.

"Shit, I forgot," Larry said.

"You don't say," Sybil said, anger creeping back into her voice.

"Sorry, Syb, my alarm didn't go off."

"Did you even set an alarm?" Sybil asked. She paused. Larry didn't answer, so Sybil carried on. "You can't keep doing this to me, Larry. You are going to come to the wedding whether you like it or not. We're leaving Downton in half an hour. Meet us at the church or I'll never forgive you."

Larry muttered something that Sybil couldn't make out.

"And look presentable or my grandmother will never forgive you."

"Your grandmother has still never forgiven me for turning up drunk to her 80th," Larry said with a laugh.

Sybil didn't laugh.

"She never did like me," he said.

"Perhaps there's a reason for that," Sybil said sharply before hanging up the phone. She dropped the phone onto her bed and sat beside it, staring out of the window at the vast landscape that formed the backdrop to her childhood.

Part of her wished she was a child again. She felt like she needed a bit of familiarity. Food made by the family's cook, tea at the ring of a bell, free days with little to do. Sometimes she wished she could go back to her life of luxury.

But mostly she didn't. Mostly she wished she had never had such a life of luxury. She wished that she had been made to make her own way in the world. At least that way she wouldn't have felt like she was sponging off other people's wealth during her teenage years. At least that way maybe she would have felt a greater sense of pride in herself and in her origins.

But never mind. No one can change the past. But her future, on the other hand, she did have control over. She didn't want to admit it, but she knew that the first step she would need to take towards changing her future was to get rid of Larry. Their relationship had been tense for a number of months now, but neither of them had the guts to end it. She knew that it would be for the best. But it didn't make the prospect of actually having to break up with him any more pleasant.

-ooo-

Sybil met the rest of her family downstairs as they piled into cars to make their way to the church. When she passed Matthew she relayed the news about Larry meeting them at the church, before getting into the car, sitting next to Mary.

"Are you alright, Sybil?" Mary asked quietly, not wanting to bring attention to her little sister who looked more stressed than she had when she had left Edith's bedroom. Luckily, Edith was in deep conversation with Cora, so nobody was paying any attention to Mary and Sybil.

"Yeah, fine," Sybil nodded. She turned her head away from Mary to look out of the window aimlessly.

Mary knew she wasn't fine. She had known Sybil all of Sybil's life. They had spent many a day together. They had spoken to each other about boys, friends, worries… They had always been close; closer with each other than either of them were with Edith. Mary knew when Sybil was lying about her feelings. Sybil wasn't a good liar. But Mary also knew Sybil well enough to know when not to push it.

Mary nodded a small nod and placed a comforting hand on Sybil's knee. Mary didn't need to say anything for Sybil to understand that if she wanted to talk, she was there to listen.

Sybil said nothing in reply to Mary's gesture, but she was thankful to have her big sister watching over her. Sybil prided herself on her independence, but sometimes a comforting gesture from a big sister is exactly what she needed.

-ooo-

When they arrived at the church, everyone piled out of the car and helped Edith with her dress. She didn't really have a train. She knew the weather might not be brilliant, and she didn't want to risk dragging pristine white silk over muddy ground.

Just as Sybil was bringing up the back of the party into the entranceway of the church, Larry ran up from behind her.

"I'm so sorry, Sybil," he said quietly, trying not to let anyone else notice his tardiness.

"Nice to see you too," Sybil said, a tad sarcastically.

"I'm going to go and find a seat in the pews. I'll talk to you later," he said, turning towards the room where the congregation was making a gentle hum of chatter. He briefly turned back to look at Sybil. "You look gorgeous, by the way."

Sybil smiled to herself. Larry was a jerk, and she didn't want to be with him anymore, but it was nice that he noticed the effort she had put into her appearance.

-ooo-

The ceremony went without a hitch. Mary and Sybil walked down the aisle before Edith walked down with Robert. Bertie cried when he saw Edith for the first time, Cora cried when they said "I do" and everyone thought it was beautiful.

After the ceremony, the family and guests made their way back to Downton for the reception.

Larry and Sybil were tensely sitting next to each other in the back of the car driven by Robert. He and Cora were engrossed in a conversation so didn't even notice that Larry and Sybil hadn't said one word to each other for the whole journey. As the silence penetrated further into the car, Larry grated on Sybil's nerves more and more. Each twitch, each breath, each sigh irritated Sybil, but she knew that as soon as she opened her mouth she would explode at him. She wouldn't be able to control her emotions, which she couldn't risk in a confined car with her parents.

When they arrived at Downton, Robert and Cora went straight into the drawing room to check arrangements for the reception.

Sybil and Larry stepped out of the car in silence and Larry followed Sybil through the grand front door of Downton Abbey into the great hall, intricately decorated according to Edith and Bertie's theme of wintry elegance. Sybil made no effort to slow down to allow Larry to catch up with her.

"Sybil, would you please talk to me?" he said, reaching forward to take her hand in his.

She snatched her hand away from him. "Why should I?" she practically shouted at him. "This has been building for months! I keep on giving you second chances, but you never change! You crossed the line miles ago, and you never once thought about trying to go back to stand behind it! I'm fed up with it! I'm fed up with you! I dread it every time I know I have to see you. I can't carry on like this. I don't want to go out with you anymore."

She began to walk away from him towards the grand staircase.

"Are you breaking up with me? Now? On your sister's wedding day?" he asked indignantly, knowing full well what her answer would be.

"Yes," Sybil said, turning back to look at him, but being very careful not to walk towards him. "It's supposed to be the happiest day of her life, and perhaps it can be the happiest day of mine too if I can get rid of you."

"How dare you?" he said, raising his voice, attracting the attention of a few of the staff helping at the wedding. "I'm the best thing that ever happened to you."

"I beg to differ," Sybil said. "I don't want to see you again. Stay for the rest of the wedding if you want, you were invited in your own right, but don't come near me."

She turned again and walked up the stairs, not daring to look back to see if he had gone. She calmly went into her room, and collapsed in the chair by her window, allowing tears to drop down her cheeks. She didn't know why she was crying. She wasn't sad. Larry didn't deserve someone as good as her and she didn't deserve to be brought down by someone like him. She knew she had done what was right for her, what was best for her, but that didn't change the fact that these emotions had been building up for months and she was finally able to let them all go at once. If anything, she was surprised she wasn't crying more. Just a few tears for a few minutes, but nothing more. She allowed herself to drift in her own thoughts for a few minutes before looking out the window to find that Larry was already half way down the long drive.

He'd made the right decision, at least as far as Sybil was concerned. Leave and never come back. She knew it wouldn't be quite such a perfect arrangement in reality. Her family and his had been connected for generations and she knew that she would have to see him again in the future, but for now, she was glad to be watching him walking away.

Sybil had been staring aimlessly out of the window for a few minutes before she noticed at the end of the long driveway her newlywed sister and brother-in-law driving towards the house.

"Crap," she muttered under her breath.

She dabbed at her cheeks, wiping away the remainder of the tears before moving to sit at her vanity to retouch her makeup. Thankfully she had thought to wear waterproof mascara, anticipating tears, though she had hoped for a happier reason than this. She didn't have much retouching to do, but she did what she needed to do to make herself look presentable again. She looked at herself in the mirror and repositioned her breasts. Larry was right about one thing: she did look gorgeous. She took a deep breath, pulled her hair in front of her shoulders and left her room to meet her sister downstairs.

-ooo-

The day carried on as if nothing disastrous had happened. As far as everyone else was concerned, nothing had gone wrong at all. Sybil sat at the head table with her immediate family for the meal, and laughed with them at the jokes made during the wedding speeches. The food was nice and the conversation was good, but Sybil wished her day hadn't been overshadowed by Larry's departure from her life.

By the time it got to the fun part of the evening – the music and the dancing and the drinking – Sybil wasn't interested in any of it. As the rest of the wedding guests took to the dance floor and let their inhibitions go, Sybil made her way to the bar. She didn't particularly want to drink anything, but she needed somewhere to sit where she wouldn't be bombarded by people. Weddings are notorious for catching up with family members you haven't seen in years and don't particularly want to talk to. Sybil really didn't want to have to discuss "that lovely boyfriend of yours" with distant relatives, and get asked again and again when she was going to get married, after all, she was now the only Crawley girl who wasn't married.

The bar seemed like the best place to be. It was out of the way and mostly out of sight of the dance floor. She didn't want to have to look at people having too much fun.

"Can I get you anything?" the bartender asked as he washed up a glass. He was clearly Irish judging by his accent. He was wearing a plain white shirt with the top buttons undone and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

Sybil shook her head with a small smile.

"I know this is a stupid thing to say," he said, "because the answer is obviously no, but are you alright?"

Sybil smiled at him weakly. It was nice for him to say something. Most people in this situation would notice her attitude but just leave her to wallow in her own misery.

"Thanks for asking," Sybil said, "but I'm not sure you could do anything about it anyway."

"Try me," he said. "I work behind a bar. I've heard a lot of stories."

Sybil laughed quietly. "It's my sister's wedding day. It's supposed to be one of the happiest days of her life. I thought it would be a happy day for me too, but I spent the day breaking up with my boyfriend."

"Was it your decision or his?" he asked.

"Entirely mine," she said. "He didn't want it. He told me he was the best thing that ever happened to me. He left in a huff."

"Sounds like he didn't deserve you," he said.

"He didn't," Sybil said. "He never did. It doesn't make it any less depressing though that I suddenly become dramatically single on my sister's wedding day."

"You deserve better," he said.

"How would you know?" Sybil asked. "You don't know me. For all you know, I could be a mass murderer."

"But you're not, are you?" he asked confidently.

Sybil smiled and shook her head.

"Well there we go then," he said. "I talk to a lot of people. I'm quite good at reading people."

Sybil paused and looked up at him through her eyelashes. He continued with his work, putting away glasses and clearing the surface of the bar.

"What's your name?" Sybil asked.

"Tom," he said. "Tom Branson."

"Well, hello Tom," Sybil said with a laugh. "Tom Branson. I'm Sybil. Sybil Crawley, the bride's poor single little sister. Thank you for being such a good listener."

"You shouldn't put yourself down to the bride's poor single little sister," Tom said. "You're a person in your own right."

Sybil sighed.

"And you're gorgeous, by the way," Tom ventured, hoping that he wasn't overstepping the mark.

"That's what Larry said to me this morning."

"Well, I don't know him, but I know he was right about one thing. You are gorgeous," Tom repeated.

"Don't you have rules about flirting with clients?" Sybil laughed, suddenly feeling her cheeks flushing red.

"As long as I'm not flirting with the bride, what's the issue?"

Sybil laughed.

"I'm sure it must be frowned upon to flirt with members of the wedding party," Sybil said, coyly avoiding Tom's gaze.

"You're a single woman, I'm a single man. Where's the problem?"

"You are _not_ single!" Sybil blurted loudly. She suddenly realised what she had said and covered her face with her hands. "Wait, no, I didn't mean that," she tried, weakly.

Tom laughed. "I am indeed single."

"Can I have a drink?" Sybil asked before Tom could go on any further.

Tom smiled. "What would you like?"

Sybil looked up at the board behind Tom's head, taking in all the options. She hadn't realised just how many cocktails were available.

"Err," Sybil said, trying to make a decision. "Could I get a cranberry mule please?"

"Of course you can," Tom said, as he started to get the ingredients ready.

"Sybil, darling!"

Sybil turned around in her seat, having recognised the voice immediately as her mother's American cousin, Margaret.

"Margaret," Sybil said, less than enthusiastically, reluctantly slipping down from her bar stool to greet her.

"How are you darling?" Her voice was very high pitched, her mannerisms were very American, and Sybil couldn't stand her.

"I'm doing great, how are you?" Sybil didn't really care. She asked out of politeness. It was what you were supposed to do, take an interest in other people's lives.

"I'm doing just fine," she said, never breaking from her smile. "Isn't the wedding beautiful? Isn't Edith just stunning?"

"Yes," Sybil said bluntly, but not unkindly.

"You're being very quiet dear," Margaret said. "Why don't you come and dance."

"Oh, no," Sybil protested. "I'm not really feeling up to it."

"Oh, well why not?" Margaret asked. "Where's that lovely boyfriend of yours I met last time I was here?"

"I have no idea," Sybil said truthfully.

"Well I'm sure we could find him if we looked for him. He might be in the library," she said, beginning to make her way past Sybil.

"No, he's not here," Sybil said.

"Not at all?"

Sybil shook her head.

"But I'm sure I saw him at the church. Didn't he look nice in his smart suit?"

"He was at the church, but he's not here now," Sybil said, wanting the ground to swallow her up. This was not the conversation she wanted to be having today.

"Why, does he not like dancing?" Margaret really was oblivious to all of Sybil's body language.

"No, Margaret, we broke up this morning," Sybil said, unable to keep beating around the bush.

Margaret stood stock still and then reached out to touch Sybil's shoulder.

"Oh, honey," she said. "No wonder you're sat at the bar by yourself."

"I'm fine, really," Sybil said.

Margaret nodded at her condescendingly. "Well, I know what it's like to get your heart broken. I think it's best if I just leave you to it. If you need to talk, just come and find me and I'll listen."

"Thanks," Sybil said with a nod.

Margaret pulled Sybil into a hug and sauntered off.

"Bye, honey," she called.

"Bye, Margaret," Sybil said.

She turned back to Tom and visibly relaxed. She stepped towards the bar and took the drink Tom had made for her, drinking half of it straight away.

"Be careful," Tom said, "I don't want to have to deal with you falling over."

"It's alright," Sybil said. "I'm good at holding my alcohol." She paused and looked up at Tom. "When does your shift finish?"

"I've got a half-hour break in ten minutes, but then I'm back on until midnight. Why?" he asked.

"Meet me outside the front of the house in ten minutes," she said.

"Outside the front?" he asked. "It's freezing."

"I'm sure we'll cope," Sybil said, finishing the last of her drink and walking off.

She knew Tom would be watching her as she walked away from him. She stood up tall and swung her hips. She wasn't intentionally trying to be sexy, but that didn't stop her body from doing so.

-ooo-

Ten minutes later she was leaning against the stone outside the front of the house, her arms crossed to keep in her warm.

She heard someone walking on the gravel and turned to see who it was.

"Tom," she said in a whisper, in case anyone else was behind him. She didn't want anyone to overhear them.

Tom turned and approached Sybil.

"What are we doing out here? Look at you, you're freezing."

Tom was wearing a jacket now. He knew it would be cold. He was sensible enough to pick up an extra layer before venturing into the night air.

"Here, take this," he said, slipping his jacket off and offering it to Sybil.

"No, I can't, you'll freeze," she protested.

"I'm Irish. I'll cope. Just take it gracefully," he said, placing it around her shoulders and letting her slip her arms into the sleeves. It was still warm from his body and she appreciated his kind offer.

"Why are we out here?" Tom asked. "What can we do here that we can't do at the bar in the warmth?"

Sybil's answer was simple. She stepped towards him and pulled him into a kiss. She had one hand on the back of his neck, the other on his side.

Tom was initially taken aback by Sybil's forwardness, but soon he had his hands on her waist, pulling her closer to him and deepening the kiss.

When they pulled apart, they stayed close and Sybil giggled quietly.

"What's so funny?" Tom asked.

"I didn't think you'd kiss me back," she said with a smile.

"Of course I was going to kiss you back," he said. "Do you know how beautiful you are?"

Sybil looked down coyly and looked back up at Tom through her eyelashes. He leaned down to kiss her again and she reciprocated willingly. She moved her hands so that one was on his strong bicep and the other was moving down his back, dangerously close to the waistband of his trousers. In reply, he moved his own hands on her body. Down her sides, over hips, towards her backside, pulling her into him, forcing their bodies into intimacy.

He stopped. "Sybil, is this wise?"

"What?" Sybil said. "We've got time."

"We've only got half an hour. And anyone could see us here."

Sybil's eyes sparkled.

"I've got an idea." She took Tom's hand and led him around the side of the large house towards the garages.

"Nobody comes in here," Sybil said, leading him to the back of the dark room. She didn't want to turn the lights on. Anyone would be able to see that someone was in there. They would have to make do with the light of the moon through the large windows and the light pooling out from the windows of the house.

She pulled Tom towards her, suddenly frantic for them to be close to one another.

"Are you sure about this?" Tom asked tentatively.

"Positive," Sybil said, planting a desperate kiss on his lips.

He reciprocated, his hands falling to her waist, but soon migrating up to her breasts.

Sybil shrugged Tom's jacket off and let it drop to the dusty floor. She snaked her arms around his back and pulled herself flush against his body. She moved her hands further down and tucked one hand beneath his waistband, squeezing his arse.

In response, he moved his hands to her back and found the zip that fastened her dress, pulling it clumsily down her back. She kicked off her heels to step out of her dress, leaving her wearing only a pair of red cotton knickers with white stars printed on them. If she had known she would be having sex with a stranger tonight, she would have chosen her underwear with a bit more care.

"Wow!" Tom said, staring at her mostly naked form. His eyes were practically glued to her breasts, her curves, her figure. He wanted her now.

Sybil began to unbutton his shirt and he threw it off, leaving it with the increasing pile of clothes on the floor.

Sybil pushed her chest against his and reached between them to stroke his cock through the fabric of his trousers.

"Feck," he said, drawing the word out as Sybil caressed him.

Sybil hummed as she continued her actions.

"I want you," Tom said deeply.

Sybil took that as her cue to undo his trousers and pull them down his legs with his underwear. He kicked them off, pulling his socks off with them. Sybil stared down at him and wrapped her fingers around his length, rubbing him up and down.

Tom was helpless. He could barely even think to touch Sybil. His mind was focused on nothing but the feel of her touching him.

She took her hand away and slipped out of her knickers, leaving them both entirely naked, standing together in the old garage of Downton Abbey. If anyone were to find them together like this, it would be a scandal among the family. Sybil quite liked the fear. It made it more exciting. It made her want him more.

She took Tom's hand and led him over to the surface on the opposite side of the room. It was closer to the door, so potentially more dangerous in terms of getting caught, but it was the only surface that was clear. She sat on the edge, her core peeking over the edge.

Tom knelt down in front of her. She put her legs on his shoulders and he buried his face in her centre. He licked her juices and sucked at her sensitive skin. His evening stubble was rough against her clit and she bucked her hips against him with each movement he made.

He nipped at her wet lips before moving up to her clit. He circled it with his tongue, and ran over it frantically. He pulled at it gently with his teeth and sucked it into his mouth.

He liked the taste of her. He wanted to taste more of her. He wanted to get to know all of her. _Intimately._

He stood, letting Sybil's legs fall and wrap around his hips. He stooped his head to reach her nipples. He took each of them in his mouth in turn, sucking them, flicking them with his tongue, nibbling them.

Sybil threw her head back in pleasure, humming from deep within her throat, leaning back on her hands for support. Tom's hands snaked behind her back to support her and to bring her closer to him.

Tom stood taller and Sybil winced at the feel of his mouth leaving her body. He rubbed his cock against her wet core and leant into her to kiss her neck.

"Have you got a condom?" Sybil asked, suddenly realising that she wasn't carrying one with her and the nearest one she knew of was in her bedroom in the house. She knew she wouldn't be able to walk all the way there and back in her current state.

Tom shook his head. "Sex wasn't exactly on my to-do list for tonight," he said with a smile.

Sybil sighed, desperately wishing that he had said yes.

"Oh, hang on!" Sybil exclaimed, suddenly remembering something. She took Tom's hand and led him to the old 1911 Renault that had belonged to the family for over a hundred years. She remembered how once she and Larry had had the idea of storing a few condoms in the glove compartment just in case they ever needed them. Looking back on it, it was a weird thing to do. Why would they ever need to have condoms in Sybil's father's old car that he never used anyway? But now she was glad they were there. She pulled one out and held it up to Tom.

"Voila!" she said with a small giggle.

Tom smirked at her and took it from her. He took her in his arms and kissed her neck, allowing her to feel the stubble of his jaw against her soft skin.

Sybil hummed in pleasure and scraped her nails lightly across his back.

She wanted him and he wanted her. Now.

He ripped the condom packet open and rolled it onto his cock, more ready than ever to explore Sybil's body further.

Sybil leant back against the cold metal of the car and allowed Tom to pick her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he positioned himself within her. He slipped in easily and Sybil winced in pleasure.

She wrapped her arms around him, one settling on the muscles of his back, one tangled in his hair, pulling perhaps a little too hard.

He moved his hips against hers, thrusting himself into her again and again.

"Oh, Tom," she said in a raspy whisper.

Hearing his name come from her lips in such a way only made him more aroused.

"Tom!" she said.

He moved faster, wanting to please her.

"Tom!" she shouted.

He slowed his actions slightly and leant forward to cover her lips with his. He didn't want anyone to overhear them and come looking.

When he pulled away from her lips she smiled at him.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" he said.

"You have no idea!" she replied. She pulled him towards her for another kiss before unwrapping her legs from him and jumping down to the floor, making Tom fall out of her. She was slipping down the door anyway. This wasn't going to work. They needed to find a new strategy.

She opened the car door and told Tom to lie down. He lay on the seat and Sybil swiftly crawled on top of him, straddling his groin.

"So, you're the boss now are you?" Tom said.

"Absolutely," Sybil said, leaning down to kiss him, her hair tumbling across his face.

She reached between them and guided Tom into her again, loving the feel of him. He was deeper inside her now than he had been before. Yes. This strategy would work quite nicely.

She rolled her hips against him, her breasts bouncing in perfect view of Tom. He ran his hands up her sides and fondled her breasts as she continued her movements.

Suddenly she was still and her whole body was tense.

"Someone's coming," she whispered quietly. She swiftly moved to lie on the floor of the car, in a less conspicuous location. Tom followed suit, but there wasn't space for them to lie side by side. He didn't want to crush her, so he held himself up on top of her in what was essentially a plank position – Sybil's worst nightmare. How he could do that whilst he was still entirely aroused, and in a state of panic, Sybil didn't know. Perhaps it was the adrenaline. They were left staring at each other, suddenly feeling ever so intimate, as they heard the footsteps in the gravel getting ever closer. Their breathing was heavy, but they were trying hard not to make it loud. They could feel each other's warm breath, they could almost hear each other's hearts, they could see each other's vulnerability spilling out of them. They each had plenty to lose if they were caught in the act.

The footsteps slowed and came to a stop near the door to the garage.

"Sybil, darling, are you in here?"

It was Mary. Shit! Why did Mary want Sybil? Why would she come looking for her in the garage? Sybil never went anywhere near the garage. Sybil's breathing stopped and she hoped to God that Mary wouldn't search the garage more thoroughly.

She heard her sister sigh and turn away. The footsteps disappeared up the gravel path back towards the front door of Downton Abbey.

Sybil visibly relaxed, but the fear hadn't yet left her eyes. Her heart was still beating faster than it ever had. Tom cautiously got up and perched on the side of the seat and Sybil wriggled to sit up, leaning against the inside of the door of the car. She smiled at Tom and they both burst out laughing.

Sybil ran her fingers through her hair and looked at Tom.

"Maybe we should reschedule," she said tentatively, not wanting Tom to abandon her completely.

"Is it possible to reschedule when you didn't schedule in the first place?" Tom asked, smirking at Sybil.

Sybil laughed quietly. "Why don't we just schedule then?"

"I would love to," Tom said.

Sybil stepped out of the car, picked up Tom's clothes from the floor and passed them to him.

"Here," she said. "If you want to go back to work I suggest you get dressed."

"Define _want_ ," Tom hummed.

"Don't knock it," Sybil said. "You might meet the bride's poor single little sister. You never know where that could lead you." She smirked at him over her shoulder as she pulled her dress over her hips. She backed up towards Tom. "Could you do me up?"

"Do I have to?" he asked, slipping his cold hands beneath the fabric of the dress to rest on Sybil's waist.

She shrieked at the surprise and then said, "Yes. I don't really want to walk back into the house half undressed."

"You don't have to walk back into the house at all," Tom hummed, nuzzling his chin against the back of Sybil's neck as he slowly pulled her zip up.

"Yes I do," she said with a small laugh. "We can carry this on another time, but Mary's looking for me, and I don't want her to find out where I've been and what I've been doing."

Tom pushed Sybil's hair out of the way and kissed the nape of her neck when the zip was up.

"She won't find out anything," Tom said, moving his hands to Sybil's breasts.

Sybil spun around and took a step away from Tom. She repositioned her breasts in the built-in cups of her dress and said,

"She will if she can't find me after searching everywhere else. I need to go and enjoy the rest of my sister's wedding day and you need to go back to work."

She picked up his jacket and pulled his phone out of the pocket.

"What are you doing?" Tom asked, making no efforts to try and stop Sybil.

"I'm putting my number in your phone. So that we can finish this another time," she said, giving him a sideways glance when she said the last two words.

She dropped the phone back into the pocket it came out of and handed the jacket to Tom who was mostly dressed now.

She slipped her shoes on and walked out of the garage, leaving Tom to follow her back towards the house and continue his shift.

-ooo-

When Sybil walked back into the grand hall of the house, she was immediately caught by Mary.

"Sybil, there you are. Where have you been?" Mary asked.

"I went outside. I had a bit of a headache and thought some fresh air might do me good," she said, trying not to make it too obvious that she was lying.

"Well, we're trying to take a family photo on the stairs, but we can't do it without you," Mary explained before taking Sybil's hand and pulling her towards the stairs where the rest of their chattering family were stationed, trying to figure out the best positions for everyone so that everybody could be seen clearly by the camera.

Mary slipped back into her place beside Matthew and Sybil stood on the end at the front next to her father.

"Excuse me," Cora said, catching a member of the wedding staff going past. "Would you mind taking a photo for us?"

"Of course not," he said, taking the camera from her and standing in front of the party.

Sybil looked up and realised that it was Tom. She blushed deeply, hoping that nobody cottoned on to what had happened between them that evening.

"Say cheese," Tom said, holding the camera up to take the photo.

He took a few just in case anyone had their eyes closed or weren't paying attention fully. Cora thanked him and took the camera from him. He turned to go back to the bar and finish his shift, but not before winking at Sybil and giving her a small smirk.

Today had not been the easiest or most relaxing day of her life, but every cloud has a silver lining. The silver lining of today's cloud was named Tom Branson. Sybil had a feeling that he would be the silver lining to the rest of her life.


End file.
